Up First from NPR
Court Invalidates Tariffs, Military Options Regarding Iran, Olympic Matchup Preview
21 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: What did the Supreme Court decide about Trump's tariffs?
The Supreme Court strikes down President Trump's signature tariffs.
But will U.S. companies and consumers just end up trading one set of import taxes for another? I'm Ayesha Roscoe.
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News. The president denounced the court's decision. He vowed to continue taxing imported goods.
Chapter 2: What are the implications of Trump's tariffs for consumers and companies?
What that means for you today on our podcast.
Also, the U.S. now has a lot of firepower stationed in the Middle East. Are strikes on Iran imminent?
And then to Milan, the Olympics and a neighborly matchup on the ice.
So stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend. The Supreme Court says President Trump's IEPA tariffs, the import taxes he imposed using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, are illegal. At a hastily called press briefing yesterday, Trump expressed his fury at the court and went on to announce a new global tariff and threaten more.
It's a big development in the Trump tariff saga, and it's by no means the end. NPR White House correspondent Daniel Kurtzleben joins us now. Danielle, thanks for being with us.
Yeah, good morning, Scott.
President Trump, obviously not happy. You were at the briefing. What did he say?
Well, first he thanked and congratulated the justices who did side with him. And then he just laid into the other justices, accusing them of being disloyal to the Constitution.
It's my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think. It's a small movement. I won by millions of votes. We won in a landslide.
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Chapter 3: Are military strikes on Iran being considered?
That's just wild. And furthermore, when a reporter asked if he had evidence of that, he said, you're going to find out. So he didn't even say what he meant. All in all, he was absolutely furious. Tariffs have been at the center of his economic policy and really of his entire second term. And this is just a blow to that.
And how large a setback? Because tariffs are more than just about economics for the president, aren't they?
Yeah, it's a both and thing. It's about economics and it's about everything else.
Chapter 4: What military options does the U.S. have regarding Iran?
I mean, he constantly frames tariffs as the thing that will make the American economy great. He really talks about them as a fix for all sorts of economic problems of bringing in revenue, increasing foreign investment. Now, those promises haven't all borne out. He said, for example, that tariffs would shrink the trade deficit. The latest data shows that that really hasn't happened.
But you're right. He likes tariffs for bigger reasons. He liked to talk about tariffs as a way of casting himself as this master tough negotiator. Here he was talking to Fox Business's Larry Kudlow this month.
We've allowed countries over the years to take advantages, by the way, with tariffs. They charge tariffs and we didn't charge tariffs. We didn't charge anything. We were... Honestly, we were stupid people run by stupid people.
And besides that, tariffs have just given Trump enormous power.
Chapter 5: What diplomatic solutions are being explored with Iran?
He had claimed he had the ability to impose tariffs when he wanted, at what level he wanted. And as the head of an economic superpower, that gave Trump massive leverage over other countries. And he used that to make trade deals on pharmaceutical pricing, even for diplomacy. And now he doesn't necessarily have that same power anymore.
He did say yesterday that he's imposing some new tariffs. How is he going to be able to do that?
Well, he said that first off, he's signing an executive order to impose a 10 percent global tariff under a different law, one the Supreme Court didn't talk about. It's called Section 122 for short. It allows the president to impose tariffs on imports for up to 150 days. And after that point, Congress is required to vote on it.
But in addition, some of the tariffs he's already imposed will still be sticking around.
Chapter 6: How does the U.S. military presence in the Middle East impact Iran?
Those are called Section 232 tariffs. They're on an array of products already, like steel and aluminum and cars. So those aren't going anywhere. But yesterday, he also cited a few other laws he said he could use to impose tariffs. Now, there's a whole bunch of these statutes. They're all known by these three-digit numbers I've been talking about. There's 201, 301, 338, but all of those statutes.
give the president some power to levy tariffs. It's just that the difference between those and the IEPA tariffs that the court struck down is that these new tariffs have restrictions. Some of them require investigations first, which can take weeks or months, or they have time limitations or limits on the size of the tariff.
So yes, Trump has some options for replacement tariffs, but they could create some new challenges.
Polls tell us Americans are feeling pessimistic about the economy, concerned about the cost of living. How does that measure up with the president leaning so hard into tariffs, which, after all, are a form of tax?
Right. That's the big conflict Trump has made for himself here. Trump has been promoting these tariffs, which, yeah, they're taxes. They raise prices for businesses and consumers. And at the same time, he's been trying to make the case that he cares about the cost of living. And right now, most voters just don't think the tariffs have helped. Many say quite the opposite.
So if he continues to lean hard into tariffs, that will really affect what political appetite the country has for supporting the GOP in the midterms. And some Republicans have even come out against Trump's tariffs. So that conflict could get bigger. So it's just remarkable he's sticking to this policy. He could have used this ruling as an exit ramp, but he hasn't.
And Pierce Daniel Kurtzleben, thanks so much.
Thank you.
President Trump says he hasn't decided if he'll launch a military strike on Iran, but there is an expansive naval and air presence in the Middle East waiting for the word.
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Chapter 7: What is the significance of the upcoming Olympic ice hockey matchup?
How realistic do they seem?
Yeah, President Trump says a deal on Iran's nuclear program is his preference. And Iran says it's open to additional talks after the latest round last Tuesday in Geneva. Here's what Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said yesterday on the MSNOW program, Morning Joe.
There is no military solution for Iran's nuclear program. The only solution is diplomacy. This is why the U.S. is back in the table of negotiation and is seeking a deal.
The problem is the two sides still appear far apart. Iran seems to be talking about some limited concessions here. Trump wants Iran to effectively give up its nuclear program and also scale back its missile program and stop supporting militias in the region. And right now, Scott, no additional talks are planned.
Greg, if talks do stall, do we know what military options the president's considering?
Yeah, he has a range of options now that U.S. forces have reached a critical mass in the region. Scott, we're talking about two aircraft carriers, more than a dozen ships, perhaps a couple hundred warplanes, all this spread around the region. Now, at one end of the spectrum, Trump could opt for a brief limited military strike and then pause the attack and give Iran another chance to negotiate.
Trump was asked about this scenario Friday and said, quote, I guess I can say I'm considering it.
What would the heavier end of the military spectrum be like?
Yeah, Trump has also expressed support for regime change in Iran, and that would almost certainly require a large scale military operation.
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Chapter 8: How do the U.S. and Canada compare in Olympic men's ice hockey history?
The president has been very aggressive about using the military in the second term, but they've been mostly quick one and done strikes. The current U.S. force appears to have the capability to bomb for weeks or even longer. But we should stress the U.S. force is built on fighter jets that would strike from the sky and Navy ships that would fire long distance from the seas.
What you don't see are large numbers of U.S. ground troops. And with no prospect of a ground war, Iran's leaders seem to believe they could survive a U.S. bombing campaign. I spoke with Alex Vatanca at the Middle East Institute here in Washington.
The boots on the ground option is not being taken very seriously in Tehran, which means the U.S. can hurt them badly, but it's not going to be sufficient and last long enough to question the regime's ability to stay in power, which means you get hit hard, you're bloodied, but you will rise again and you move on.
Greg, we've been watching the military buildup, but at the same time, would it be fair to say we haven't been hearing any case from the president as to why the U.S. should go to war?
Yeah, that's really accurate. And this has been a very different approach than we've seen from other presidents in the run-up to wars. Trump, for example, hasn't made a major speech to the American people about the prospect for a new Middle East war, though his State of the Union address is on Tuesday. His administration hasn't sought support from Congress or made the case at the United Nations.
And aside from Israel, the president hasn't sought to bring in U.S. allies or build an international coalition. Another key point, the president has been intentionally vague about his ultimate goal. Some days it sounds like the aim is a nuclear deal. Other times the emphasis seems to be on ousting Iran's theocratic leaders.
And here's Greg Myrie. Thanks so much. Sure thing, Scott.
In men's ice hockey yesterday, the US beat Slovakia and now advances to a gold medal final with Canada tomorrow. In the history of Olympic men's ice hockey, no country has won more gold medals than Canada. And no one has won more silver medals than the US.
Ha! Tomorrow, Team USA hopes to change that storyline. NPR sports correspondent Becky Sullivan will be at the game and joins us now. Becky, thanks for being with us. Of course. Good morning, Scott. So biggest game in history or merely of the century?
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